Setback
by malic124
Summary: Sequel to "Savior," John Foster is faced with a setback regarding the man who attacked him, Jude and Connor a month earlier.
1. Served

Jude crept into the living room, where John was fast asleep in the couch. The sun was still rising, so its light hadn't yet shined through the room enough to wake John from his slumber. Jude bent down next to the couch, smiling to himself. Gently, he started to shake John.

"John, wake up," he said quietly.

John stirred as Jude kept shaking him. After a few seconds, John woke up. He shook his head before turning to Jude.

"Jude…is everything OK?" he asked, sounding worried.

"Of course everything's OK," Jude said, smiling at John's worrying. "It's your birthday!"

John chuckled. "Geez, I must have been sleeping heavy, because I totally forgot about it," he said as he sat up.

"Happy Birthday," said Jude, pulling out a rectangular shaped present from the floor and handing it to John.

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"I know, but I wanted to."

John smiled again and started to unwrap the gift. Out popped a book, the latest from his favorite author, Jodi Picoult.

"Jude! Thank you!"

"Open it," Jude said excitedly.

John opened the book. Inside the front cover was a signed message.

 _Happy Birthday, John! I hope you enjoy the book!_

John looked up at Jude, at a loss for words.

"How the heck did you manage to get a signed copy?" he asked.

"When we went to Ellen," Jude explained. "I went backstage after the show and grabbed Jodi for a moment. I told her who I was and that your birthday was coming up. I asked if she could sign a copy of her new book for you and send it to me."

John seemed at a loss for words. "You're the best," he said in a teary voice, starting to cry from how happy he felt. "Thank you," he added, pulling Jude into a hug. "I love you."

"I love you," Jude said smiling at John. "Happy Birthday."

"Connor gonna join us for lunch later?"

"Yep. He'll be there."

"Good. That's the main thing I wanted this year: for all of us to be together."

Jude nodded. "It's good that we have all moved on from everything that's happened in the last year," he said. "It'll be nice to finally just be."

John nodded and together, they stood up and walked into the kitchen, where John started to brew some coffee. As if the coffee woke them from their slumber, Stef and Lena came waltzing into the room, rubbing the sleep out of their eyes.

"Happy Birthday, Love," Stef said as she reached John. She kissed him on the head before pouring herself a cup of coffee. "I absolutely love that you made coffee, even on your birthday."

"Hey, I did it mostly for me," John said before giggling while Stef lightly slapped him on the arm.

Lena walked up to them. "Come on, honey, he's allowed to be a little cocky on his birthday, right?" she asked before kissing John on the cheek.

"Absolutely not!" said Stef exasperatedly.

John giggled again. "Hey, maybe I'll lay off on your birthday, Stef. You know, just for you."

"I guess I can live with that," said Stef, grinning.

"So, John, what are we gonna do for your birthday lunch?" Lena asked.

"Let's keep it simple," said John. "This year, all I want is for us to be together as a family. As long as we're all there, I'm good."

"Well, how about a Mongolian grill?" suggested Stef. "They have plenty of food and it tastes delicious.

"That would be great," said John.

"I'll let Connor know," Jude said, pulling out his phone and starting to type a text.

* * *

At the restaurant, the family all sat together at a large table. Once their server had taken their drink orders, they walked over to the food line and started preparing their bowls with meats, veggies, noodles and sauces. When they were all in line watching the cooks prepare their lunch, the cooks suddenly stopped. One of them put down his spatulas and spoke.

"It seems like we have a birthday boy here!" he announced, pointing at John, who blushed. "John here is turning 17 today!"

John looked embarrassed as the customers and restaurant staff cheered for him. He looked over at Stef and Lena, who were grinning mischievously at him, a sign that they had planned the whole thing.

"Since we like to have fun during birthdays," the cook announced. "How about we sing for John?"

"You don't have — " John began, before the cook held up a hand.

"No, no!" he said, still joyful. "We don't allow anybody with a birthday to get passed us without having a little fun. Everyone, let's wish John a happy birthday."

"Happy Birthday to you," the whole restaurant sang. "Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, dear John. Happy Birthday to you!"

Everyone cheered, while John laughed, still feeling embarrassed. Once the cheering quieted down, the cooks returned their attention to the food on the stove, while Stef and Lena walked up to John, who was standing with Jude and Connor. His aunts still had the mischievous looks on their faces.

"Surprise!" Stef exclaimed.

"I hate you," John said, grinning despite his embarrassment.

Stef and Lena both giggled. "We got you!" Lena said.

"Yeah, you got me good," John said as he took his plate from the cook who had just finished preparing it. "Thanks," he added quickly to the cook. "It's on for your birthdays!" he said, causing Stef and Lena to laugh again as they took their plates from cooks and followed John back to their table.

* * *

Stef unlocked the door, letting everyone back into the house. They had picked up a cake from a grocery store on their way back home and were about to enjoy it before spending the rest of the afternoon together. As everyone piled into the kitchen, Brandon handed Stef the mail he had grabbed on his way in.

"Thanks, Love," Stef said, starting to sort through the mail while Lena and Mariana started to grab plates and forks for everyone. After a few seconds, Stef spoke up.

"John, there's something for you here," she said. "Not sure what it is, but it says it's from the county."

"Wonder what it could be," John said, taking the envelope from her and staring at it. "I haven't gotten any tickets or anything."

"Could be a driver's license renewal," said Lena. "Maybe they need to reissue you one now that you're unrestricted."

"That's done automatically," said Stef. "Go ahead, Love."

John opened the envelope and pulled out an official looking letter. He started to read it. A few seconds later, he opened his mouth in surprise.

"What is it, John?" Connor asked, noticing John's expression.

"It's the man who attacked us last month, Robert Myers," said John.

"What about him?" Jude asked. "He's not getting out, is he?"

"Worse," John said. "He's suing me for assaulting him. I've just been served."

He threw the paper onto the table for them to examine. Stef and Lena quickly shielded the rest of them from seeing it so they could read it first.

 _Dear Mr. Foster,_

 _You are hereby served notice that Robert D. Myers is suing you for assault in the second degree._

The letter went on, detailing how Myers claimed John attacked him unprovoked and caused significant pain to him. When they finished reading it, Stef and Lena looked up at John, who had tears in his eyes. Without any word, they pulled him into a hug, trying to understand exactly what they were going to have to deal with now.


	2. Interrogation

John sat in a hallway outside of the conference room of attorney Alex Kelbert, who the family had retained as Alex's lawyer for his pending case against Robert Myers. Stef, Lena, Jude and Connor all sat with him — the boys would speak with Kelbert after John to tell their side of the story.

"It's going to be all right, Love," Stef said to John.

"I know," replied John. "Alex was great against Loomis. I only hope he can do it with Myers, too."

Stef pulled him into a one armed hug just as the conference door opened and one of Kelbert's law partners stood in the doorway.

"We're ready for you, John," he said.

John nodded and stood up as Stef and Lena patted him on the back. Jude and Connor stood up with him and each gave him a quick hug with nods of reassurance. John followed the lawyer into the conference room and another lawyer shut the door behind him.

The lawyer who retrieved John motioned for him to sit across the conference table from Kelbert, who had on his glasses and had a laptop open in front of him. He also had a notepad open next to him and had a pen in his hand, ready to take notes.

Once John sat down, Kelbert smiled at him.

"You don't have to be nervous, John," he said in a warm voice. "These guys are just here to help me take notes and review the facts of the case as we move forward. All you have to do is speak to me and answer my questions truthfully. Do that, and we can proceed as planned in this case against you. Are you ready?"

"Yes," John said.

Kelbert nodded to the lawyer to his left, who pressed a button on a video recorder.

"First, I need you to state your full name for me," Kelbert said.

"John Henry Foster," John said in a commanding voice.

"Can you tell me why you were at the beach on the day in question?"

"I was there to sign copies of my book, _Survivor_ , as part of the last stop of my nationwide book tour, put on by HarperCollins, my publisher."

"And you were at the beach with your family, is that right?"

"Yes, I was there with my aunts Stef and Lena Adams Foster and with their five children, my cousins."

"Can you please tell me how you are related to Stef and Lena Adams Foster?" asked Kelbert.

"How do you mean?" John asked.

"Meaning, which one of them is one of your parents' sibling?"

"Stef is my mother's younger sister," John said.

"And, why do you not live with your mother?"

"You know why, Alex," John said in a hurt tone.

"I know, John, but I need you to tell me for the record."

"My parents were killed in a car accident two years ago."

"Can you tell me how you came to be placed into guardianship of your aunts?"

"After my parents were killed, I was legally emancipated, so that I would have the say of any guardianship. I moved in with my aunts after I was sexually assaulted and suffering from post traumatic stress disorder."

Kelbert nodded and made a note on his notepad.

"How long have you been living with your aunts?"

"About a year and a half."

"OK, John, we're going to go back to the day in question. You were on the beach for a book signing. What happened after the book signing?"

John sighed. "I decided to walk along the beach with my family because we hadn't spent much of the day together. I had appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show before the book signing, so we didn't get much chance to talk that day."

"How long did you walk with your whole family?"

"For about 15 minutes."

"What happened then?"

"My youngest cousin, Jude, and his boyfriend, Connor, and I decided to take a walk alone together, just to talk."

"Why did you want to talk together alone?"

"Is this really necessary?" John asked in an annoyed tone. "Does it really matter why we wanted to talk alone?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Kelbert said. "We have to establish the timeline of events accurately, otherwise we risk losing this case."

"All right," John said before sighing again. "We wanted to talk about my book and just spend some time together."

"Are you close with your cousin and his boyfriend?"

"As close as I can be," John said. "I love my cousin like a brother, and his boyfriend is a dear friend of mine."

"All right, so you walked over to some rocks and you were talking, is that right?"

"Yes,"

"What happened when Mr. Myers approached you?"

"He walked up to us and was yelling at Jude and Connor."

"What was he yelling about?"

"He was yelling for them to stop holding hands. He called them faggots. We all thought — "

"'I thought' not 'we thought,'" Kelbert said. "You can only speak to what you thought, not what your cousin and his boyfriend thought."

"All right," said John. " _I_ thought he was just a homeless man who had gotten drunk and just needed to be calmed down."

"What did you say to him?"

"I asked him to leave us alone and that we should all mind each others' own business."

"How did he respond to that?"

John grimaced. "He said that he shouldn't have to watch two faggots holding hands while he's out in public."

Kelbert made a note on his notepad again. "How did you respond?"

"Calmly, I asked him if he would like to get away from what he was seeing and if he'd like to come get a drink with me."

"What happened next?"

"He said, 'Screw you, fag lover!' and pushed me to the ground, before he grabbed Connor and pulled out a knife?"

"What kind of knife did he pull?"

"I have no idea," John said, sounding annoyed. "I just saw a blade being pointed at my best friend's ribcage."

"All right, and what happened then?"

"I told Myers that he didn't want to do anything that stupid, that it would be a mistake."

"What did you mean by that?"

"That it would be stupid of him to stab someone," John said. "I meant that he shouldn't try any of that on anyone, but especially not a teenager."

"And then what happened?"

"Myers laughed and said there would be no problem and he stabbed Connor in the ribcage."

"What did you do then?"

"I lunged forward and started to wrestle with Myers. I managed to disarm him before I started to punch him in the face to subdue him. He eventually fell unconscious before I turned my attention to Connor and told Jude to call for help."

Kelbert finished making a note, while his partners continued typing out notes on John's statement.

"Is that all that happened on the day in question in reference to this case?" Kelbert asked.

"Yes."

"And you have made this statement truthfully, under no duress?"

"That is correct."

Kelbert nodded again to the lawyer on his left, who hit the stop button on the camera.

"Thank you for coming in and speaking with us, John," Kelbert said. "We'll need to speak with Jude and Connor, and then we'll speak with you and your aunts after we have reviewed all the facts."

John nodded, stood up and walked toward the door. He exited the conference room and walked back over to the group and hugged them before Jude was called in to speak.

* * *

The group waited in earnest after Jude and Connor spoke with Kelbert and his partners. Kelbert had come out and told them they would review the testimony of the three boys and would call them in when finished. After half an hour of waiting, one of the partners poked his head out of the conference room.

"We're ready for you now," he said. "You can all come inside."

They all stood up and followed the lawyer into the conference. John sat in between Jude and Connor, with Stef and Lena sitting to his left, before Kelbert looked up from his notes and spoke.

"You seem to have a good counter case here, John," he said. Stef and Lena breathed sighs of relief, while Jude and Connor patted him on the shoulders. "However," Kelbert continued, causing them to go silent again. "There's the matter of possible excessive force. While I can clearly see John had to do whatever he could to protect Jude and Connor, I can understand how his actions could be seen as excessive."

"What do you mean?" asked Stef, sounding shocked.

"Meaning that had he not continued to punch Robert Myers after Myers had fallen to the ground, we likely would not be here at all. But, since he did, his actions can be seen as excessive."

The group's faces all shrank. Jude and Connor each grabbed one of John's hands.

"I wouldn't worry, though," Kelbert continued. "It's clear that John was merely defending Connor and trying to prevent anyone else from being hurt. However, the degree of excess will be up to the court to decide. And, I'm afraid that if the court finds John's actions to be excessive force, John could face jail time."


	3. The Talk

Stef poked her head into the living room, where John was sitting on the couch with Jude and Connor, watching a movie on TV.

"John, Love, can you come into the kitchen for a minute?" Stef said. "Lena and I have something we want to talk to you about."

"Yeah, sure," said John, pushing the blanket off himself and standing up, stretching. He followed Stef into the kitchen, where Lena was sitting at the dining table. Stef sat down next to her, while John sat across from them.

"How are you feeling, John?" asked Lena.

"We go before the judge tomorrow," John said. "I'm nervous as all get out."

"You're gonna be just fine," said Stef, grabbing onto John's hand. "I promise you, Love."

"I know," John said, nodding and squeezing Stef's hand. "Everything is gonna be OK. So, what can I do for you?"

Stef and Lena looked at one another and smiled.

"There's something we've wanted to ask you for a long time now, John," said Stef. "We were gonna ask you on your birthday, but we got side tracked by the papers."

"What is it?" asked John.

Lena smiled at him. "What would you say to becoming an official member of this family?"

"Aren't I already?" John asked in a confused tone.

Stef and Lena smiled again.

"How about with a last name of 'Adams Foster?'" asked Stef, smiling bigger than ever.

John opened his mouth in surprise. "Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

"If you think we're talking about adopting you, then yes," said Lena, laughing at John's expression.

"What about my emancipation? Doesn't that mean you can't adopt me?"

"Not if you sign an agreement that says you give up your emancipation in exchange for the adoption," said Stef. "Basically, we become your full-time guardians and with the adoption, your Moms."

John seemed at a loss for words as he chuckled, taking it all in. "It would be weird calling you both 'Mom' since I'm so used to calling you by your names," he said. Then he paused, hesitating.

"What is it, Love?" Stef asked.

"It's just — I don't want to upset my parents' memory or anything. Not that I wouldn't be thrilled becoming a member of this family officially, but it'd be weird, since I already had two parents, wouldn't it?"

"And nothing will ever change that," said Lena, standing up and walking around the table to John's left and throwing her arm around John. "You had two wonderful parents who loved you with everything they had. And we will love you that same way — we already do. You are loved here, John, and nothing, and I mean nothing, will ever change that."

John nodded before turning back to Stef, who was still sitting across from them.

"Do you think Mom would have wanted this?" he asked as a tear fell down his cheek.

"I know she would have, Love," said Stef, repeating Lena's actions and sitting on the other side of John. "Your Mom and I had a deal: we would take care of each other's children in case anything ever happened to one of us. We promised each other that we would love each child as our own, no matter what. And John, I do love you… _We_ love you as our own."

Stef pulled John into a hug as John started to cry. She soothed him and kissed him on the forehead, while Lena rubbed John's back in comfort. After a few moments of this, John broke apart, wiping the last tears from his face.

"I'll do it," he said. "What do I have to sign?"

Lena reached over to an envelope sitting on the table next to them. She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to John.

"By signing this, you give your legal guardianship to us," she explained. "We'll then file a petition to get you adopted as soon as possible so you can become a member of our family."

She handed him a pen, which John took and without hesitation, he signed the document and handed it back to Lena. Lena put it back into the envelope before she and Stef pulled John into a bear hug, all of them shedding tears of happiness.

"Welcome to the family," Stef whispered into John's ear before they broke apart.

"I'm honored to become an Adams Foster," said John. "I'll go and tell Jude and Connor the good news."

John turned and exited the kitchen, walking back toward the living room. Jude and Connor were enamored with the movie on the TV and didn't seem to notice John enter the living room.

"Hey guys," he said, getting no response. "Guys!" he exclaimed in a louder tone. Jude and Connor looked up, and Jude muted the TV.

"What's up?" asked Jude. "Is everything OK?"

"Actually, it's better than OK," John said, smiling. "I was just talking with Stef and Lena," he hesitated. "I'm gonna have to get used to no longer calling them by their names," he said, laughing to himself.

"What do you mean?" asked Connor.

"Oh, did I forget to mention it? I've just signed a document turning over my guardianship back to Stef and Lena, meaning they are clear to adopt me, which will happen as soon as possible!"

John laughed as Jude and Connor both formed comical "O" faces; their mouths open in complete shock. After a few seconds, Jude stood up and threw himself into John's arms.

"Does this mean what I think?" he asked, the tears starting to fall down his face.

"Yes!" John exclaimed. "I'm going to be your brother now, Jude!"

"Oh, John!" Jude squealed, hugging John even tighter than he already was, if that were possible.

Connor stood up, still at a loss for words. When Jude finally broke apart from John, Connor stared at John, smiling.

"Congratulations, John!" he said, before John pulled him into a hug, which Jude quickly joined.

"Together forever," said John.

"Together," Jude and Connor echoed. "Forever."


	4. Taken

"What if they find him guilty?" asked Lena in a concerned voice.

"I don't want to think about that," said Stef. "But if the judge does find him guilty, he'll probably get some jail time."

Lena shivered in her seat, horrified at the thought of John being sent to jail. "But, how could anyone do that? How could they find him guilty when he was defending Jude and Connor?"

Stef stood up, walking over to Lena and putting a comforting arm on her wife. "It's a bad system, Love. If there was true justice in this case, the judge wouldn't even consider hearing this case. But, we have to go and we have to let whatever happens happen. And besides, no matter what, we are adopting him today, as soon as that court hearing is over."

"How did Kelbert manage to let that one in?"

"No idea; he just told me he can be pretty persuasive and that it was all taken care of, regardless of what happens today at the hearing."

At that, John walked into the kitchen.

"Pretty persuasive?" he asked. "As in me?"

Stef and Lena chuckled as John sat down in a seat across from them.

"Not quite, Love," said Stef. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, besides worrying about the small chance of me getting carted off to jail this afternoon, not too bad."

"John, please don't joke about that," said Lena.

"I'm sorry," John said. "Jokes tend to help me in times like this."

Stef nodded. "Everything is going to be all right, no matter what happens. Besides, I have good news."

"Oh?" asked John.

"Your adoption has been approved, Love! We are going to adopt you this afternoon after the hearing."

"What about if I'm found guilty?"

"Kelbert already took care of that," said Stef. "He arranged it with the courts that if you are to be found guilty, you will not be taken into custody until after your adoption goes through."

John smiled despite himself. "Well, at least one good thing will come from today."

* * *

John stood with the family outside of the courtroom, waiting to be admitted. Kelbert had arrived and gone inside, telling them they would be called in when ready. While they stood waiting, John turned to Jude and Connor.

"You guys know that I could be found guilty of assault, even if I was defending you, right?" he asked in a serious tone.

Jude sighed. "I don't see how they can do that."

"I know," said John, putting a hand on Jude's shoulder. "It's tough and it's a bad system in a case like this. But I promise you this, no matter what happens today, I'm going to be all right, Jude. I promise you that."

Jude nodded before John turned to Connor.

"I know how much Jude means to you, Connor, so I don't think I have to tell you this: Take care of him if I have to go to jail."

"I will," Connor said, nodding.

John smiled. "I knew I didn't have to worry about that," he said as the courtroom doors opened. Kelbert walked out of the courtroom and walked up to Stef and Lena. They had a quick conversation before Kelbert went back inside.

"It's time, Love," said Stef to John, who nodded.

They all filed into the courtroom together, while John followed Kelbert to the defense table. Together, they took their seats while waiting for the judge to call the case. Kelbert turned to John, looking at him with reassurance.

"You feeling all right?" Kelbert asked.

"I'll be fine," John said, nodding. "I'm not that worried."

"Are you nervous at all?"

"I appreciate your concern, Mr. Kelbert, and I thank you for making sure that my adoption would happen today, but I'll be all right. I can handle jail. I've handled worse, believe me."

Kelbert nodded as the judge called them to order. The courtroom stood as the judge took his spot at the bench. They all sat as he opened a folder containing information about the case. He glanced at it for a few seconds before looking up at John and Kelbert.

"The defendant will rise," he said.

John and Kelbert stood up, facing the judge with blank expressions.

The judge sighed. "Mr. Foster," he said in a somber voice. "I understand why you had to resort to physical force on the day in question to defend your cousin and his boyfriend. And, I understand how things may have gotten out of hand in the heat of the moment. That being said, I am afraid that I do have to find you guilty of using excessive force against Robert Myers."

John took a deep breath, in shock from the judge's words.

"Therefore," the judge continued. "I have no choice but to remand you to jail for 30 days. You will be placed in a facility for youth under high supervision in order to ensure your safety."

Kelbert placed a hand on John's shoulder as John looked down from the judge, staring at his feet.

"I am sorry, Mr. Foster, but I do have no choice in this matter," the judge said. "Rest assured that I will make sure Robert Myers will stay in prison as long as possible for the assault on you, your cousin and his boyfriend. I am ordering that you not be arrested until your adoption has been approved, Mr. Foster. Officers will arrive to take you into custody once your adoption has been finalized. This court is adjourned," he finished, banging his gavel before leaving the bench.

"I'm sorry, John," Kelbert said in a soft voice.

"It's okay," John said, finally looking up. "You did everything you can. Let's just focus on getting me adopted."

Kelbert nodded before following John back to the family. John fell into Stef and Lena's embrace, all of them crying from a combination of fear and sadness.

* * *

John pulled Jude and Connor aside as the family stood outside the family courtroom, waiting to hear if John was going to get adopted by Stef and Lena.

"Jude, I want you to have this," John said, pulling out his good luck charm Jude had given him when he first came to the family.

"But, this is yours, John," said Jude. "I couldn't take this."

"I want you to keep it safe for me," John said, putting the necklace into Jude's hands. "Keep it with you while I'm away so I'll always be with you."

Jude cried as he took the necklace and put it around his neck, twirling the charm on it.

"Connor," John said, turning to him. "I want you to take this ring," he said as he pulled the ring he usually had on his right ring hand. "It's an old family heirloom on my father's side; I want you to hold onto it while I'm gone."

Connor took the ring silently, at a loss for words. He placed it on his finger. It fitted him perfectly.

"Thank you," Connor said before he suddenly burst into tears. John pulled him into a hug, which Jude joined.

"It's going to be all right," John said in a soothing voice. "Everything's going to be okay."

* * *

At 3 p.m., John stood in the family courtroom with Stef and Lena on either side of him. The rest of the family sat together in the chambers, waiting for the family court judge to approve his adoption into the family.

The family court entered the courtroom; she seemed to have a positive expression on her face, giving everyone hope. She took her spot at the bench, looking over John's file, before she looked at John.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Foster," she said in a warm voice. "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm fine, all things considered."

The judge nodded. "I understand how difficult it's been for you today. And for the last few months with all you have had to deal with in your life. It hasn't been an easy road for you, but you've managed to do it. You are a good person, John Foster. You are an inspiration to me and a role model for all."

The judge smiled before she went on.

"Everything here seems to be in order," she said. "Congratulations, Stef and Lena. And to you, John Adams Foster. I'm singing off on the adoption."

Stef and Lena stood up, embracing John in a three-way hug. John seemed at a loss for words as he hugged his adoptive mothers. They stood together for several seconds before turning to the rest of the family, who had all stood up cheering for John.

John hugged each of his new siblings before he faced Jude and Connor. Both of them were crying as they hugged him, congratulating him on becoming a member of the family.

Together, the family left the courtroom, all cheering for John as they walked down the hallway. John held onto Jude and Connor's hands as they walked toward the main entrance of the courthouse, Jude and Connor on either side of him. Waiting just outside of the entrance was Kelbert, waiting for them. He walked up to John, Jude and Connor as they approached him with the family in tow.

"They're here for you, John," he said in a quiet voice.

John nodded and followed Kelbert to the front of the courthouse, where several police officers were waiting. They stopped in front of the officers, who identified themselves and told John they were there to take him into custody after his hearing earlier that day. John nodded at them, pulling away from Jude and Connor's grasp. Before he walked toward the officers, Stef and Lena embraced him, each giving him a kiss on the cheek and reassuring him that everything would be all right.

As one of the officers put handcuffs on John, Jude stepped forward.

"Wait," he said, pulling John into a hug. John held onto him with his free hand while the officers stood by waiting patiently.

"I'll be okay," John whispered.

"Promise?"

"You know I do."

Jude pulled away from John, staring at him with tears in his eyes as the officer continued to place the handcuffs on John. John looked at Connor.

"Take care of him. And yourself."

Connor nodded as he put an arm around Jude, who started to sob into his shoulder.

Once John was handcuffed, the officers led him away, with Kelbert following him. The family stayed rooted in their tracks, watching as their newest son and sibling was taken away.


	5. Out

John stood in the empty doorway leading into the jail cell that would serve as his home for the next 30 days. The officer who had escorted him to his cell had unlocked the cell and held the door open for John. He was a friendly elderly man, who seemed to be unhappy about putting a teenager into solitary confinement.

"You should be OK in here," said the officer in a gentle voice as John took in his surroundings in the room.

John nodded. "Thank you, Officer," he said.

"Call me Randy."

"Randy, I'm John," said John before he entered his cell with the items he was carrying in a box. He set them down on one of the beds in the cell before turning around and facing Randy.

"Do you have toiletries?" asked Randy.

"Yeah," John said. "My Mom, Stef, is a cop and she told me what I would need to bring with me. I don't know if it will last my whole stay."

Randy nodded. "The second you are getting low on supplies, you let me know and I'll take care of it."

"I appreciate that," said John, smiling, despite the situation he was in.

"I can bring you a book from the library, if you'd like."

"I'm good for a few days," John said, pulling out the book Jude had gotten him for his birthday and gesturing to it. "My brother got me this for my birthday and I haven't had a chance to start it yet."

Randy nodded again. "OK," he said. "You should be OK in here. If you need anything, you let me know."

"I will," said John as Randy closed his cell door and locked it. John sat down on his bed, looked around his cell again and sighed.

"Hey," Randy said. "Don't' worry. The time goes fast if you don't think about it too much. Just keep reading and you'll be out of here in no time. I'll come and visit you as often as I can."

"Thank you," John said before Randy turned and walked away.

* * *

 _30 days later_

It was his final day spent in this jail cell. The time hadn't been so bad; true to his word, Randy visited John every day and they chatted for as long as Randy's schedule allowed. John spent the rest of his time reading, eating and sleeping. He was anticipating the day ending so he could get back to his family, whom he loved dearly. He glanced up at a picture they had sent him three days after he had been in jail. The entire family and Connor stood in the photo, smiling and holding a sign that said, "We miss you." John smiled at the photo when he heard the cell lock click and his cell door open. Randy stepped inside.

"Morning, John," he said in his gentle voice. "You've got a visitor."

"Today?" asked John, putting down the book he had been reading. "It's my last day in here. Who could be visiting me?"

"Relax, kiddo," Randy said, chuckling. "Your lawyer is waiting for you and he says you have some people here who want to discuss something with you while you're still in here."

"OK…" John said, still feeling apprehensive. He stood up and stretched.

"We do have to do cuffs," Randy said sadly. "I know it's not right, but I have to follow procedure."

"Don't worry about it," said John, putting his hands behind his back. "I know how this works by now."

"I'm sorry, John," Randy said as he finished cuffing John, who followed him out of the cell and to the visiting area.

"Is Jude still going to be here to pick me up?" John asked.

"Yeah," said Randy as he led John through the hall. "Your Moms arranged a private taxi that will bring him here and then you two will go home. I got off the phone with them just a little bit ago. They're sorry they can't all come and get you as a family, but…"

"With everyone's schedules, it's not easy to schedule something we can all be at?" John asked with a smile on his face. Randy chuckled and nodded.

They arrived in the visiting area, where John was patted down before being uncuffed. Randy led him into a private meeting room, where Alex Kelbert was sitting, waiting for John.

"John," Alex said with a smile as he stood up and shook John's hand. "You look good."

John grinned. "You've said that every time you've come and visited me the last month."

"And I mean it every time," Kelbert said, motioning for John to take seat beside him. John sat down next to Kelbert.

"So, who wants to meet with me?" asked John.

"A producer who works for Atlantis Cable News in New York," Kelbert said. "She's mostly a field producer, but she does produce some feature-type stories from time-to-time. She contacted me last week to see if you would be willing to do a story with them."

"About what?"

"I'm not sure. She wanted me to check with your Moms to make sure they would be all right with her meeting you in here. She wanted to meet with you before you got out of jail for some reason."

"This should be fun," said John.

Kelbert nodded. "I understand if you're nervous. But, she just wants you to hear her out. She's bringing their lawyer with her."

"Why?"

"That's the only way the officers would let them in here, if a lawyer was present for both parties."

At that, the door opposite John and Kelbert opened. A young blonde woman walked in, followed by an older woman dressed conservatively. John and Kelbert stood up to greet them.

"Maggie Jordan," said the young woman as she shook John's hand. "I'm a producer for ACN in New York."

"Rebecca Halliday," said the older woman. "I represent ACN in First Amendment cases. I was asked to come here to be a part of this discussion."

"Alex Kelbert," Kelbert said. "I represent John."

"John Adams Foster," said John after shaking hands with Maggie and Rebecca. "I'm pleased to meet you. I'm a huge fan of News Night."

"Well, thank you," Maggie said with a smile as they all sat down at the table. "I'm a field producer for News Night, so I appreciate a fan."

"So, what can I do for you?" asked John.

"I've read about your story, John," Maggie said. "We've actually covered parts of your story, like your book tour, on some of our ACN broadcasts. When I heard you were arrested, I delved deeper into your past and learned all about your history."

John nodded. "So you want to do a story on me," he said.

"An interview, live on News Night," said Maggie. "Will McAvoy would lead the interview and you would answer his questions. We wouldn't ask too many questions about your sexual assault."

"I appreciate that," John interrupted.

Maggie smiled. "It would be a chance for you to tell your story in your words to the viewers of News Night. What do you think?"

"I don't think he should do it," Kelbert said.

John held up a hand to Kelbert.

"Thank you, Alex, but I've got this one," John said. He turned to Maggie. "I respect your news program and I respect the work all of you do. If I do this, my only request is that I get some time with my family beforehand, since I haven't seen in 30 days."

Maggie nodded quickly. "That's what I told Jim Harper, our executive producer. He said to give you as much time as you need, and when you're ready, you can contact us." She pulled out a business card, which she handed to John. "My contact information is on there."

"I will do this interview," John said. "What all do I need to do?"

"Once you're ready for the interview, all you have to do is get into contact with me. ACN will cover travel and hotel fees for you. We'll also handle your transportation to the station for the interview."

John nodded.

Maggie and Rebecca stood up. John and Kelbert followed suit.

"Thank you so much, John," said Maggie. "This really means a lot to me."

"Of course," John said, shaking her hand. "I'm happy to do it. My story is not an easy one to tell, but I understand how important it can be for others. Besides, I've always thought about a career in news and ACN would be a dream job for me."

Maggie smiled. "Well, maybe we can chat about a job in news after your interview," she said.

* * *

Mike and Stef sat together in their patrol car, enjoying a rare coffee break.

"I bet John is ready to come home," Mike said after taking a sip.

"We all are," said Stef. "We've been rearranging the house to make room for a new bed for him."

Mike chuckled. "You could've called me, Stef. I'd have been happy to help you all out."

"Well, with Brandon, Jesus and AJ all in the house, we were able to take care of it ourselves. I tell you, it's nice having three teenage boys in the house at times like that. Any other time sucks."

They laughed as they heard a robbery call come over their squad radio. They heard the robbery was about two miles away from their location and decided to respond.

"This is Adams Foster," Stef said into the radio as Mike fired up in the engine. "We're less than five minutes from the robbery. We'll go in first."

"10-4," responded the dispatcher. "We'll get a few officers there to go in as back up, if needed."

"Copy," said Stef as Mike pulled their car away from its parked spot and headed to the scene of the robbery.

They arrived within five minutes. Once outside the gas station where the robbery was reported, Stef and Mike checked their guns.

"Ready?" Stef said when she was finished.

"Let's roll," said Mike.

They left their car and slowly approached the gas station's entrance. Once in position, Stef nodded at Mike, who pulled open the door. They rushed inside, with their guns drawn. They saw one man with a gun pointed at the clerk behind the counter.

"Police! Don't move!" Stef shouted at the robber.

"OK, OK," said the robber. "I'm the only one here. I'll put my gun down," he said, looking as though he was going to put the gun down. Suddenly, he quickly pointed his gun in the direction of Stef and Mike. Mike fired three shots before the robber could do anything else.

* * *

John exited the jailhouse. He was a free man, at last. Before he had left the building, he had changed into the clothes he had arrived in, which had been washed before he arrived to leave the jail.

He looked around the parking lot. On his left, he didn't see anything except officers heading toward their patrol cars. To his right, he spotted him: Jude was standing next to a black SUV, waiting for him. John smiled, though he knew Jude couldn't see it; he was just so happy to see his brother at last.

John walked quickly toward Jude, who started to walk toward him. Finally, they reached each other and wrapped their arms around each other in the tightest hug they had ever given one another. They held onto each other for several seconds; Jude seemed like he wouldn't ever let John go unless he was forced to.

"It's OK," John whispered into Jude's ear. "It's all over."

They kept hugging for a few seconds before Jude pulled back. They held onto one another while the brothers looked into each other's eyes for the first time in a month.

"Mom and Mike were involved in a robbery a few hours ago," Jude said in voice that suggested he had been crying.

John's eyes widened in shock. "What happened?" he asked.

"They're OK," said Jude. "They tried to put an end to it, but the robber decided to go the hard way. He was gonna shoot Mom, but Mike shot him three times before the robber could do anything. The robber died at the scene."

"What's wrong then?" asked John.

"They're questioning Mike at the station," Jude said quietly. "You've seen how it's been with officer-involved shootings lately. This may not end well."


End file.
